Armoured over-trousers

ABSTRACT

Armoured over-trousers ( 10 ) are formed as “chinks” having an open lateral external flank ( 13 ). Protective anti-ballistic armour plate ( 42 ), integral with fabric material ( 22 ) used for the over-trousers or otherwise incorporated within correspondingly sized, shaped and strategically located pockets ( 40 ), protects lower abdominal regions, including the buttocks, upper thigh regions and genitals, of the wearer. The open flank ( 13 ) provides mobility whilst ensuring a low thermal burden and access to storage pockets in conventional trousers ( 14 ). The over-trousers are secured around the legs by strapping ( 16, 18 ) to reduce the possibility of a blast wave ( 36 ) funneling effect that might otherwise be experienced should the over-trousers ( 10 ) only fit loosely around the legs of a soldier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to United Kingdom PatentApplication Serial No. 1114098.5, which was filed on Aug. 16, 2011, andis hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to armoured over-garments and isparticularly, but not exclusively, applicable to flexible reinforcedabdominal body armour which includes protective areas for the groin,buttocks, crotch and upper thighs.

SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART

With great regret, a rise in worldwide terrorism has seen an increaseduse of improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”); these are also known asroadside bombs due to their deployment. Such IEDs essentially contain anexplosive attached to a detonating mechanism, and cause severe externaland internal body traumas from several effects, principally: the blastpressure wave and the fragmentation effect. The fragmentation effectleads to penetrating ballistic or blunt force injuries that arise fromimpacts with projectiles included in the container, projectiles producedfrom the destruction of the container and from objects surrounding thedetonator and target.

IEDs are therefore of considerable concern and present a real threat toboth civilians and, more particularly, military or police personnel.

With respect to likely injuries sustained in an explosion, primary blastinjury is a direct result of the over-pressurization waves' impact onthe body. These injuries occur mainly to the gas-filled organs,including the gastrointestinal systems and colonic track, and arise (forexample) from the blast wave being channeled into the body.Particularly, injuries result from spalling, implosion, inertia and theextreme pressure differentials at the body surfaces causing a stresswave that is produced in the underlying tissues. Also, IEDs can causetraumatic amputation (of a leg or genitalia) and potential bleed-outwhen a body-part is severed following an explosion. Indeed, with respectto leg injuries, the location of the femoral artery in the upper leg andthe overall circumference of the thigh often inhibit the application ofa tourniquet used conventionally and initially to stem the flow oftraumatic bleeding in advance of surgery.

Protection of the groin, crotch region, buttocks and upper thigh aretherefore equally important, but conventional plate-armour, besidesbeing heavy, is generally considered restrictive of movement to theextent that a soldier's effectiveness may be compromised in that theyare unable to run or crouch easily (when wearing such plate-basedarmour).

The U.S. Navy's BUAER (Bureau of Aeronautics) “Flak Shorts” were madefrom ballistic nylon and protected the groin and lower abdomen from lowvelocity fragments (see: http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=659).They had a front zip closure protected by a snap fastener cover andfeatured an adjustable crotch strap. The BUAER shorts were worn with amatching vest by Navy and Marine Corps aircrews early in the VietnamWar. Often referred to as “Flak Diapers”, the weight (approximately 3lbs or about 1.3 kg) and overall size of these flak diapers meant thatthey were rarely worn and, more often than not, were instead used as acushion to protect air-crewmen against ground fire.

Imperial Armour SA has also marketed “ballistic underwear” (seehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDrFc7Zqnk). Four-ply unidirectionalfibre is cross-plied and sandwiched into a flexible film that is cutinto a specific pattern. The resulting “ballistic panel” is combinedwith a trauma sheet that is worn next to the body. The trauma sheettherefore defines a tailored article of clothing having a pocket intowhich the ballistic panel is inserted. The cumulative weight of theproduct is in the region of 1.6 kg. The multiple layers are heatretaining, especially since trapped air acts as a thermal insulator.

In terms of leg wear design, cycling shorts are skin-tight leg weardesigned to improve comfort and efficiency while cycling. Particularly,they: i) reduce wind resistance and thereby increase aerodynamicefficiency; ii) protect the skin against the repetitive friction of thelegs against the bicycle seat or frame; iii) draw sweat away from theskin to prevent chafing and rashes, and to cool the rider down throughthe process of evaporation; iv) compress the legs, which can help combatmuscular fatigue. The traditional chamois leather patch inside theshorts in the crotch area (which corresponds to the saddle region on thebike) remains popular, although synthetic chamois linings are nowproduced in a variety of shapes and styles to suit the needs ofdifferent rider. However, patch designs are minimized to reduce overallweight and to provide a smooth surface that is aerodynamicallyoptimized. Modern cycling shorts are often made of stretchable spandex(Lycra® fibre), with the hem of each leg usually lined with elasticand/or elastic gel that clings to the skin keeping it in a fixedposition.

By way of example, the Black Pearl Bike short (by Aero Tech Designs) ismade from tricot fabric that is highly aerodynamic and hydrodynamic. Themicrofiber nylon is 87% micro-denier nylon and 13% spandex, with thecompression supporting muscles and movement to reduce muscle fatigue andlactic acid buildup. The material blend of nylon fibers allows for asoft feel that dries quickly. A shock absorbing cellular urethane(“open-cell” structure) pad is designed to absorb shock while allowingwater vapor and perspiration to move through the open cells and thusaway from the body. Pads in cycling shorts can be both anti-bacterialand hypoallergenic, thereby resisting odors and reducing germ growth.

However, cycling shorts provide no protection against trauma and merelyprevent chaffing and localized soreness arising from friction rubbingand related friction burns.

In Australian patent 2010101434 and corresponding U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/948,183 (also belonging to the present assigneeand incorporated herein for all purposes), a highly effective pair ofmulti-paneled protective undergarments (termed “BlastBoxers™”) areconfigured from a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panelof the undergarment and a low thermal burden material stitched to theballistic resistant resistive panel. The low thermal burden materialforming complementary fabric panels of the undergarment; wherein theballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burden material incombination structurally assemble into the undergarment. Theconfiguration provides a fully-flexible undergarment that exhibitsanti-ballistic properties whilst being lightweight and allowing good legmobility. The improved integral design of the protective undergarmentensures that a blast-protective, slash-proof (or “ballistic resistant”)patch remains in place to protect the lower abdomen and especially thecrotch, groin, inside regions along the upper thigh and significantareas around/of the buttocks. The undergarment therefore offersincreased protection to the common iliac artery, the external andinternal iliac, and the femoral artery (as well as the profunda femorusand superficial femoral artery).

Protective (in the sense of anti-rub or anti-abrasion) over-trouserscalled “chaps” or “chinks” are known in cowboy culture. Chaps are sturdycoverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt. They arebuckled on over-trousers with the chaps' integrated belt, but unliketrousers they have no seat and are not joined at the crotch. They aredesigned to provide protection for the legs and are usually made ofleather or a leather-like material, thereby providing aleather-on-leather barrier interface between the cloth trouser leg of arider and a saddle on which the rider is seated. Typically, chaps havefull-length zippers running along the outside of the leg from the thighto just above the ankle Chinks (or half-chaps) are shorter and have aleg-pipe that is usually defined by only two fasteners positioned highon the thigh. Chinks are therefore cooler to wear than full-length chapsand are hence more appropriate for warmer climates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is providedarmoured over-trousers comprising: a fabric material forming a pair ofchinks having an open lateral external flank along outer regions of theover-trousers, covered inner thigh regions opposite the outer regionsand an upper pant cooperating with the inner thigh regions to define theover-trousers; and at least one piece of armour plate included in theover-trousers, the at least one piece of armour plate sized, shaped andlocated in the over-trousers to protect, in use, at least one lowerabdominal region of a person against which the armour plate is held bythe fabric material.

The armoured over-trousers may comprise a plurality of armour platecovering, in use, at least some of the body regions selected from thegroup consisting of: the lower abdomen; the crotch; the upper groin; thegenitalia; the lower belly; inside regions of the upper thighs; and thebuttocks.

Preferably, an interface between proximately located armour plates iscovered by an armour pad and wherein the armour pad is permitted to moveindependently of the armour plates.

The open lateral external flank provides hand-access to the interior ofthe over-trousers, with a thigh strap extending across each open lateralexternal flank.

The armoured over-trousers may also include a tether affixed to andextending along at least a portion of an inner seam of both coveredinner thigh regions, the tether having its ends firmly anchored in theover-trouser such that, upon rupture of the inner seam, splaying of theinner thigh regions is constrained.

In one embodiment, a protective collar extending upwardly and fanningoutwardly from a waistband of the over-trousers. The collar isreinforced to as to deflect an incident blast wave outwardly from thewaist of the over-trousers.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a protective armoursystem comprising: a) the over-trouser of the first aspect incombination with b) a multi-paneled protective undergarment comprising:a ballistic resistant protective panel forming one panel of theundergarment; and a low thermal burden material coupled, e.g. stitchedor welded, to the ballistic resistant panel, the low thermal burdenmaterial forming complementary fabric panels in the undergarment;wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermal burdenmaterial in combination structurally assemble into the undergarment.

Advantageously, the various embodiments of the present invention (aloneor in complementary combination) provide increased protection of thelegs and lower abdomen (both front and back) of the wearer. Thereleasable, but open-flanked nature of the over-trouser ensures that theover-trouser can be quickly positioned, whilst the overall thermalburden is lowered (and ventilation improved) by air is allowed toimpinge along an outer region. Indeed, by providing a releasableover-trouser in the form of an attachable apron or chap, movement of thewearer is maintained because there is no constraining outer seam (thatwould otherwise produce a semi-inflexible pipe). The use of clasps,buckles or Velcro® in the formation and securing of theprotective-armour-based chap further means that a pair of suchover-trousers can often fit many different leg shapes and sizes and doesnot need to be a custom fit (unless specifically desired).

The configuration of the over-trouser and particularly the overlay ofprotective armour panels means that movement of the wearer is notsignificantly compromised and that blast waves are directed around thearmour plate and do not directly impinge on body tissue. Further, theoverlap of panels means that a blast wave is not generally channeledwithin the over-trouser, but rather dispersed in all directionsexternally about the over-trouser.

Indeed, configuration of the over-trouser as a “chink” means that it canbe both removed and applied quickly to take into account prevailingoperational circumstances in which the wearer is participating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of an armoured over-trouser accordingto a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an assembly of parts of the armoured over-trouser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a partial overlay of components with in a right leg of theover-trousers of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view through the armour components alongthe cut-line A-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear schematic view of armoured protection withinover-trouser according to a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 6 is a photograph (in plan view) of a physical realization of theassembly and partial overlay of components shown respectively in FIGS. 2and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning to FIG. 1 in which there is shown a front schematic view ofarmoured over-trousers 10 according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, a cloth material 22 (such as cotton or an anti-slashmaterial compliant with at least British Standard (BS) EN 388-6.2 bladecut level 2) is shaped into a open-flanked pair of chaps that can beoutwardly secured about a leg 12 of a wearer, e.g. a soldier.Preferably, the cloth material may be lightweight, but generally hasproperties that present a low thermal burden material and sufficientstructural strength to maintain its shape under load.

The open-flanked nature of the over-trousers 10 is accentuated in FIG. 1for illustrative purposes only and to demonstrate the nature of the openlateral external flank 13, with FIG. 1 showing a camouflaged trouser 14visible along the outer open flank of the chaps. Each leg of the chapsis fastened about the leg of the wearer by strapping 16, which strappingmay take the form of a Velcro® strap or a webbing-based bucklearrangement readily appreciated by a skilled addressee. The open flank13 allows a wearer to access pockets formed in conventional trousers(over which the over-shorts/over-chinks are worn).

The term “trouser” should therefore be considered to include a pair ofshorts or chaps or any equivalent, especially since the over-trousersare essentially only formed in situ about the leg of the wearer.

In a preferred embodiment, the chaps (perhaps more aptly described as“chinks” in view of their length) extend to a position just below theknee of the wearer and are securely tightened about the calf muscles,i.e. the gastrocnemius and the soleus by end strapping 18 (or the like).Of course, in an alternative embodiment, the over-trousers 10 can beshortened such that the overall length finishes above the knee of thewearer. In the event that the over-trousers are cut above the knee, thenthe strapping 16 secures generally around the quadriceps of the wearer.The strapping 16 is tightened, in use, to prevent a blast wave fromtravelling inwardly within a pipe formed by the soft armour plate andover-trousers 10, i.e. inside of the over-trouser and immediatelyadjacent (and generally in a laminar pattern relative) to the legs ofthe wearer.

A preferred embodiment where the chaps are relatively long, a moldedknee pad 20 can be secured to the cloth material 22 of the over-trouser10.

The over-trouser 10 is cut and formed to provide a wrap-around waist 24,with the waste 24 incorporating an adjustable waistband 26 permittingsecure fitment of the over-trousers 10 to the wearer. Prior to fasteningthe open-flank seen, the over-trousers 10 thus resemble an apron thatcan be tied in place about the waste of the wearer.

In a preferred embodiment, the waist region is extended upwardly to forma collar 28, which collar permits a lower edge 30 of conventionalupper-body armour 32 to sit beneath an upper edge 34 of collar 28.Functionally, the upwardly extending collar or lip (with its fanningoutward nature) permits a boundary between conventional upper-body (30)and the waistband to be overlapped such that an upwardly rising blastwave (36) is deflected along the upper body armour and does not impingeon at the boundary. The collar 28 may be ribbed or otherwise reinforcedso as to withstand and direct the blast wave. The interaction betweenthe collar 28 and the upper-body armour 32 means that the over-trousers10 provide a contiguous protective surface or region and avoidchanneling of the shockwave 36 between the upper-body armour 32 and thewearer.

Preferably, pockets 40 are formed within the fabric 22, which pocketsmay be interior to or exterior to the surface of fabric. Within eachpocket (or pouch) is located a correspondingly-shaped soft armourelement 42 having a selected thickness corresponding to a particulardegree of ballistic protection. In fact, the pockets 40 can includemultiple soft armour plate elements that may be layered on top of eachother. A first pocket 40 a is strategically positioned in front of thecrotch region of the wearer to protect the wearer's genitalia, withadditional pockets 40 b extending along and about an inner seam 46 ofthe over-trousers 10 to provide inside thigh protection. Padding (notshown) may be provided between an inners surface of the pocket and theskin of the wearer to augment the fabric 22, although padding isgenerally limited so as not to trap heat and not to unnecessarilybulk-out the over-trousers (that could compromise movement). Theprotective soft armour elements 42 therefore provide blast protect tothe lower abdomen and especially the crotch, groin, inside regions ofthe upper thighs and significant areas of or around the buttocks. Theprotective armour elements of the preferred embodiments extend at leastunder the crotch and around the front and rear areas of the lowerabdomen (i.e. groin and buttocks) and thus provide protection againstblasts (e.g. from IEDs) occurring at ground level.

Referring briefly to FIG. 5, a rear view of the over-trousers 10 isshown. Essentially, the pocket (in which the protective armour plate islocated) may be differently shaped to extend across the buttocks andanal region. The front and back of the over-trousers is therefore notnecessarily symmetrical in appearance.

Although FIGS. 1 to 5 show the front adnominal protective armourelements 42 a and rear buttock protective armour elements 42 c as beinggenerally U-shaped, cup-shaped or chalice-shaped, their exact shape isdetermined from the degree of protection that is desired for theunderlying body parts and, indeed, the shape of the body part to beprotected. That said, to maintain flexibility of movement, theprotective armour elements 42 generally only cover the vital arteriesand organs in the lower belly/upper groin and also the genitalia. Forexample, the preferred arrangement for inside thigh protective armourelements 42 b offers increased protection to the common iliac artery,the external and internal iliac and the femoral artery (as well as theprofunda femorus and superficial femoral artery). Typically, therefore,the inside thigh protective armour elements 42 b will be strip-shapedand surround about one-third of the circumference of the leg. The rearbuttock protective armour elements, in contrast, extends across thebuttock regions to inhibit the effects of explosion shockwaves thatotherwise might enter the anal passage and which might cause significantdamage to the colon.

Returning to FIG. 1, an inner seam of the over-trousers is formed toinclude a tether 50. The tether 50 is generally tacked/lightly stitchedin place along its length, but securely affixed to the cloth 22 at bothof its ends. The function of the tether is to prevent the user's legsfrom being splayed beyond a certain critical point (typically beyond thesplits position) where limb damage or trauma would occur. The tether 50will therefore detach from the over-trousers along its length, whilstits overall length sees it act as a restraining cord. The tether istherefore generally made from a multi-filamented, resistive materialthat is designed not to snap but which offers some positive/elasticatedresistance to stretching. For example, the tether 50 may be webbingmaterial or Dyneema®.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the open-flanked nature of the chinksis again shown. Whilst front and rear sections of an abdominal region(i.e. the undershort or pant region) may be formed as separatecomponents, they may also be formed as a unitary piece. However, thenature of anti-ballistic woven materials means that they are difficultto bend and, consequently, multiple protective elements 42 may need tobe located in abutting engagement, with one or more additional padsprovided across the abutting joint to accommodate curvature in twoplanes and to ensure that any joint is not an area of weakness/limitedballistic protection.

Referring initially to FIGS. 3 and 6, curved left leg portion 60 andcurved right leg portion 62 include thigh strapping 16 and, in thisinstance, a tubed end portion 64 through which a low leg is slipped. Thetubed end portion either replaces the end strapping 18 or incorporatesthe tubed end strapping to ensure that positive engagement of the end ofthe each leg chap occurs around the leg of the wearer. A leg of thewearer, such as a soldier, would therefore obscure the majority of theinner leg portion as shown, with the strapping 16 illustrative of thecolumn that is formed for each leg of the wearer.

The thigh strapping 16 is artificially illustrated in that (in theimage) it is shown as extending laterally and seemingly rigid, but thisassists in showing how the curved leg portions 60, 62 pipe a “half-pipe”along the inner thigh region. For the sake of clarity, the pockets (andalso the armour elements) have been omitted, although the skilledaddressee will appreciate that such protective armour elements arestrategically housed along and in the half-pipe leg portions. An upperpant or saddle portion 66 is shaped to fit around the buttocks andgenitalia in a fashion similar to conventional briefs or jockey shorts.The upper pant portion is preferably made from an essentially T-shapedor Y-shaped front portion and an essentially T-shaped or Y-shaped rearportion that abut against each other and are joined together, e.g. bystitching, to form a bridge 74.

The curved leg portions 60, 62 attach to the upper pant portion 66 usinga releasable attachment 70, such as Velcro®, although stitching couldalso be employed; this is illustrated in FIG. 6. The curved leg portions60, 62 are also preferably stitched 72 to the bridge 74 that permitsfront and rear portions of the upper pant 66 to be connected together.However, to ensure mobility, a vent 76 may be left between the curvedleft leg portion 60, 62 and the stitching 72 on the bridge.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 6, the curved nature of the curved leftleg portions 60, 62 is shown in three-dimensional perspective. Again,pockets and protective armour have been omitted and, furthermore, onlythe curved right leg portion 62 is shown. In view of the existence ofthe stitched joint in the bridge 74, an armour protective pad 80 ispreferably positioned across the joint and thus at least partiallyacross the bridge 74. The position of the pad 80 can be internal toexternal to the upper pant 66, with FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the padinterior to the leg portions 60, 62. The vent 74 that supports someindependent movement of the legs portions 60, 62 relative to the upperpant 66 is shown in FIG. 3.

Indeed, with reference to FIG. 4, position and relative movement of thebridge 80 relative to the front and rear pant portions is illustrated byarrows 82. Integral pocketing detail used to retain the protectivearmour within the material structure of the under-trouser 10 is omittedfor the sake of clarity, although the skilled person will now be awareabout the positioning and construction of suitable pockets 40 (such asshown in FIGS. 1 and 5).

It will, of course, be appreciated that the above description has beengiven by way of example only and that modifications in detail may bemade within the scope of the present invention. The wrap-aroundover-trousers may be worn as a part of a complementary system in thatbody armour panels in the over-trousers can overlay undergarment bodyarmour, such as the aforementioned BlastBoxer™ undergarments in which amulti-paneled protective undergarment comprises: a ballistic resistantprotective panel forming one panel of the undergarment; and a lowthermal burden material snitched to the ballistic resistant panel, thelow thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels in theundergarment and wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the lowthermal burden material in combination structurally assemble into theundergarment.

For reasons of clarification, “soft armour” is generally understood asbeing a protective element composed of assemblies of ballistic fibres,such as those formed from Kevlar® from the DuPont company. Typically,soft armour will employ fifteen to thirty layers of thin, flexible andtightly-woven ballistic fabrics that are generally lightweight andeffective and stopping handgun rounds. In building up the layers, theresultant garment tends to be very stiff and restrictive of freemovement. In normal use, soft armour generally protects against blunttrauma. In contrast, to provide protection against more serious threats,such as high velocity rifle rounds, soft-armour may be augmented orotherwise substituted by the use of “hard armour”. Hard armour can beconsidered to be equivalent to an exoskeleton in that it is fabricatedfrom rigid plates made from ceramic, polymers or metal sheets. Theseplates are usually molded or generally formed to conform to the physiqueof a standard wearer. Clearly, greater protection is achieved throughthe use of large plates of hard armour, although this has a drawback inthat the plates are both relatively heavy and cumbersome and thusincrease fatigue and interfere with a wearer's mobility (even more sothan that of soft armour).

While a preferred embodiment makes use of pockets to support theinsertion of (preferably) soft-armour, it will be understood that theover-trousers may include one or more pockets that include hard armour.Indeed, the provision of pockets permits the user to vary the amount ofprotection dependant upon the perceived threat.

It is also contemplated that, in one embodiment, certain pockets may, infact, be integral to the over-trouser in that the soft-armour isnon-removable and thus permanent to and integral with part of theover-trousers. The pocket is therefore redundant to the extent thatwoven material (having armour-plate properties) can be directly fixed(e.g. glued, stapled, welded or stitched) to abutting fabric materialproviding the underlying shape and substrate of the trouser garment.Indeed, in this respect, the soft-armour may be realized bylayer-up-layer of knitted silk or Kevlar® fibres. For example,protective panels may be made from knitted Kevlar® having a thickness ofbetween about 2 mm and 3 mm. Different protective panels can havedifferent thicknesses of this slash-proof material, e.g. front adnominalregion typically will have a higher anti-ballistic/shock rating thanthat for the thigh regions.

In terms of slash-proof materials, the fabric “Quality K2815” by DaleTechniche with a weight of 360/380 grams per square metre (gsm) is onesuitable material, with Quality K2815 being a heavier modified interlockknit fabric that is flame retardant and made from 100% Kevlar® fibre. Inother embodiments, alternative anti-slash/anti-ballistic materials maybe used, including Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE).Multiple stacked layers (typically at least three) of silk twill orknitted silk having a weave weight of 100 gsm have also been found toperform, with natural silk fibres having an inherent advantage of agenerally inert nature.

It will be understood that unless features in the particular preferredembodiments are expressly identified as incompatible with one another orthe surrounding context implies that they are mutually exclusive and notreadily combinable in a complementary and/or supportive sense, thetotality of this disclosure contemplates and envisions that specificfeatures of those complementary embodiments can be selectively combinedto provide one or more comprehensive, but slightly different, technicalsolutions.

The terms “anti-ballistic” or “ballistic resistant” should be construedin the sense of a strengthened material knit or weave that deflects orimpedes ballistic fragment penetration, with the term “slash-proof”representing one type of material that is suitable for application inthis context. The terms therefore commonly imply some form of armouredprotection, with the degree of armoured protection determined by thecomposition of the material and/or the physical parameters used in itsconstruction.

1. Armoured over-trousers comprising: a fabric material forming a pairof chinks having an open lateral external flank along outer regions ofthe over-trousers, covered inner thigh regions opposite the outerregions and an upper pant cooperating with the inner thigh regions todefine the over-trousers; and at least one piece of armour plateincluded in the over-trousers, the at least one piece of armour platesized, shaped and located in the over-trousers to protect, in use, atleast one lower abdominal region of a person against which the armourplate is held by the fabric material.
 2. The armoured over-trousersaccording to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of armour platecovering, in use, at least some of the body regions selected from thegroup consisting of: the lower abdomen; the crotch; the upper groin; thegenitalia; the lower belly; inside regions of the upper thighs; and thebuttocks.
 3. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 2, wherein aninterface between proximately located armour plates is covered by anarmour pad and wherein the armour pad is permitted to move independentlyof the armour plates.
 4. The armoured over-trousers according to claim1, wherein the armour plate is located within a pocket formed in thefabric material.
 5. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 2,wherein the armour plate is a panel integrated with the fabric material,the panel forming an integral part of the armoured over-trousers incombination with the fabric material.
 6. The armoured over-trousersaccording to claim 5, wherein the open lateral external flank provideshand-access to the interior of the over-trousers.
 7. The armouredover-trousers according to claim 1, further including end strapping ateach remote lower end of the covered inner thigh regions, the endstrapping securing, in use, each remote lower end about a leg of thewearer.
 8. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 7, wherein eachremote lower end includes a molded knee-protector.
 9. The armouredover-trousers according to claim 7, further including a thigh strap (16)extending across each open lateral external flank.
 10. The armouredover-trousers according to claim 1, further including a tether affixedto and extending along at least a portion of an inner seam of bothcovered inner thigh regions, the tether having its ends firmly anchoredin the over-trouser such that, upon rupture of the inner seam, splayingof the inner thigh regions is constrained.
 11. The armouredover-trousers according to claim 1, further comprising a protectivecollar extending upwardly and fanning outwardly from a waistband of theover-trousers.
 12. The armoured over-trousers according to claim 11,wherein the collar is reinforced to as to deflect an incident blast waveoutwardly from the waist of the over-trousers.
 13. The armouredover-trousers according to claim 3, further comprising a protectivecollar extending upwardly and fanning outwardly from a waistband of theover-trousers.
 14. A protective armour system comprising: a) theover-trouser of any preceding claim in combination with b) amulti-paneled protective undergarment comprising: a ballistic resistantprotective panel forming one panel of the undergarment; and a lowthermal burden material coupled to the ballistic resistant panel, thelow thermal burden material forming complementary fabric panels in theundergarment; wherein the ballistic resistant panel and the low thermalburden material in combination structurally assemble into theundergarment.
 15. The protective armour system of claim 14, wherein theballistic resistant protective panel is located in a complementaryposition relative to the armour plate.